Sign holders



FIG.3

FIG.2

INVENTOR. P. Poul son WLM Attorneys United States Patent 3,143,817 SIGN HOLDERS Paul G. Paukon, 256 N. State St., Mondovi, Wis. Filed July 18, 1962, Ser. No. 210,707 4 Ciaims. (Cl. 40-125) This invention relates to improvements in sign holders, and more particularly to a novel post assembly for holding highway signs and the like.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel post-type holder for highway marking signs and the like, and particularly for detour signs and similar markers which are of a temporary nature, and wherein it is not necessary or desired to install a permanent post and sign assembly.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel post-type sign holder which can be quickly and easily installed, and wherein there is no necessity for bolting or otherwise permanently securing the sign to the holding post, which is a time-consuming and relatively expensive operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel post-type sign assembly which is provided with integral means for driving the upright holding post into the ground, and for pulling the same out, and wherein no special tools or equipment are required to install or remove the assembly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel post-type sign holder which is adapted to receive and engage signs of various shapes and sizes, and wherein there is no necessity for tediously manipulating adjustment screws, or for removing and replacing the regular holding brackets, to accommodate various-sized markers.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide a novel post-type sign holder which is simple in design and construction, which is reliable in operation, which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and which is otherwise particularly well-adapted for its intended purposes.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention comprises the improved post-type sign holder, and all of its parts and combinations, as set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved sign holder with a highway marker mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the improved sign holder, a sign being shown thereon in dot and dash lines; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the improved sign holder, parts thereof being broken away and shown in section.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be seen that the improved post-type sign holder comprising the present invention includes an elongated, upright cylindrical shaft having a pointed lower end 11 which is adapted to be driven into the ground, said shaft being conveniently formed of conventional metal stock. In the preferred embodiment of the invention a small triangular plate 12 is welded or otherwise secured to said shaft 10 adjacent the lower end thereof, said plate functioning as an anchor when it is driven below the ground, and preventing rotation of the unit.

As is shown in FIG. 3, the upper end of said shaft 10 has an enlarged cylindrical head 13 integral thereon, and vertically slidably mounted on the shaft upper portion and surrounding said shaft head is a tubular metal sleeve 14. Said tubular sleeve 14 includes a lower end 3,143,817 Patented Aug. 11, 1964 ice closure 15 having a vertical bore therethrough which forms a guide bearing for vertical movement of said sleeve on the shaft 10, and the upper end of said sleeve includes a top plug or closure 16 which is welded or otherwise permanently secured therein. As mentioned, said shaft head 13 is slidably fitted within said sleeve member 14 with the result that said sleeve is movable vertically on the shaft upper portion from a raised position where the lower end closure 15 therein abuts the underside of said shaft head, to a lowered position where the top plug 16 in said sleeve abuts the top surface of said shaft head 13. This particular arrangement, wherein the travel distance of the vertically-movable sleeve 14 is limited as described, is an important feature of the invention as will be hereinafter seen.

As shown in the drawings, an upper bracket member 17 is permanently secured on the upper sleeve member 14, and mounted on an intermediate portion of the shaft 10 in alignment with said upper bracket is a lower bracket member 18. Said bracket members are preferably triangular in shape, as illustrated, and the lower bracket 18 is downwardly tapered and includes a front wall 19 and a rear wall 19' which are spaced from each other to receive a sign 21 therebetween. Diverging upwardly from the apex of said triangular bracket a distance substantially less than the height of said front and rear walls are side members 20. Due to the relatively short nature of said side wall portions 29 it has been found that a circular, square, or rectangular sign will fit readily within said bracket 18, in addition to a diamond-shaped sign such as the illustrated sign 21, the lower edge of the sign resting on said sides 20 and the front and rear bracket walls retaining said sign against displacement. The upper bracket 17 is oppositely disposed, having its apex at the top thereof, and may be similarly designed.

In the use of the novel post-type sign holder comprising the present invention, it is unnecessary to use a sledge hammer or similar implement to drive the post into the ground. In this respect, the vertically-movable sleeve 14 on the post upper end can function as a hammer, repeated forcible downward movement of the same causing the top 16 thereon to strike the shaft head 13 and to drive the shaft downwardly into the earth. In rare circumstances where the ground is too hard to permit this, it is possible, of course, to hold the sleeve in a lowered position against the top of the shaft head 13, and to utilize a weighted hammer or the like to impart the necessary downward force.

After the shaft 10 has been driven as deeply into the ground as desired, the sign, as for example, the diamondshaped sign 21 illustrated in the drawings, is positioned in the lower holding bracket 18, the lower corner of such a diamond-shaped sign being completely inserted therein as shown, but the shape of said bracket permitting the mounting therein of signs of any other shape or configuration as well, as hereinabove described. The verticallymovable upper sleeve 14 is simultaneously raised to a point where the bracket 17 thereon is higher than the top of the sign 21, to permit the proper positioning of said sign, and said sleeve is then lowered to cause said bracket 17 to engage against and encase the upper corner portion of said sign. Due to the weight of said sleeve 14 the same holds itself in said sign-engaging position and constantly pressurably bears downwardly on the sign to tightly clampingly retain the same between said cooperatingupper and lower holding brackets 17 and 18. Thus, it will be apparent that signs may be held with the present invention without any bolts or other securing means, and that various signs may be easily interchanged as desired.

When it is desired to remove a sign which is mounted in the novel and improved post-type sign holder comprising the present invention, the sleeve 14 can be manually raised to disengage the upper holding bracket 17, and the sign then removed from the lower bracket 18. The shaft can then be withdrawn from the ground merely by actuating the sleeve 14 in a manner opposite that employed when said shaft was being driven into the ground, repeated forcible upward movement of said sleeve causing the lower portion 15 thereon to drive the shaft head 13 upwardly, thus forcibly raising the unit out of the ground, and providing a unique integral post-pulling mechanism.

' The principal advantages of the present invention, of course, are that the unit is simple and easy to install, requiring no special tools or equipment, and it requires no connecting bolts or the like to secure the sign thereto. In the latter respect, as hereinabove described, the upper, vertically-movable sleeve member 14 can be manually raised to permit, the positioning of the sign on the lower bracket, and then lowered to a position where the bracket thereon engages against the upper edge of said sign, the weight of said sleeve firmly clamping the sign between said upper and lower brackets. Thus there is provided a unique and improved sign-holding unit which is not only simple and easy to use, but which requires substantially less installation time than is required with conventional post-type signs. Moreover, the present structure is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and it is rugged and durable.

It is to be understood that the improved post-type sign holder comprising the present invention is not to be limited or confined to astructure exactly as that illustrated and hereinabove described. It is contemplated that various changes and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing specification, and it is intendedto include herein not only the specific embodiment illustrated, but also any and all variations or modifications therein as may come within the spirit of said invention, and within the scope of the following claims. a

What I claim is:

1. A holder for a removable sign comprising, an upright post having a lower end adapted to be driven into the ground and having a sign-holding bracket intermediate its length and spaced above said lower end 'a sufiicient distance to be exposed when said post is driven into the ground a normal distance, said post having an impact head rigid with its upper end, a sleeve associated with the upper end of said post slidably engaging over said impact head having an opposed sign-holding bracket thereon and having a rigid impact member positioned to engage the impact head on said post when no sign is being held whereby the post may be driven into the ground by means of a driving force from said impact member to said head, said sleeve being of such length that it is thereafter slidable upwardly to a selected position with its impact 'member spaced above the impact head of the post to accommodate and hold a sign between the bracket on the sleeve and the bracket on the post, the sleeve and its impact member having suflicient weight so that the sleeve is urged by gravity into sign-retaining position.

2. A holder for a removable sign comprising, an upright post having a lower end adapted to be driven into the ground and having a sign-holding bracket intermediate its length and spaced above said lower end a suflicient distance to be exposed when said post is driven into the ground a normal distance, said post having an impact head rigid with its upper end, a sleeve associated with the upper end of said post slidably engaging over said impact head having an opposed sign-holding bracket thereon and having a rigid impact member positioned to engage of a driving force from said impact member to said head,

said sleeve being of such length that it is thereafter slidable upwardly to a selected position with its impact member spaced above the impact head of the post to accommodate and hold a sign between the bracket on the sleeve and the bracket on the post, said brackets having V-shaped portions to coact with opposite corners of a sign, the sleeve and its impact member having sufiicient weight so that the sleeve is urged by gravity into sign-retaining position.

3. A holder for a removable sign comprising, an upright post having a lower end adapted to be driven into the ground and having a sign-holding bracket intermediate its length and spaced above said lower end a sufiicient distance to be exposed when said post is driven into the ground a normal distance, said post having an enlarged impact head rigid with its upper end and having upper and lower impact surfaces, a sleeve permanently associated with the upper end of said post slidably engaging over said impact head having an opposed sign-holding bracket and having an impact member rigid with its upper end positioned to engage the upper impact surface of the impact head on said post when'no sign is being held whereby the post may be driven into the ground by means of a driving force from said impact member to said head, said sleeve being of such length that it is movable upwardly to a selected position with its impact member spaced above the impact head of the post to accommodate and hold a sign between the bracket on the sleeve and the bracket on the post, the lower end of said sleeve having a rigid bearing member throughwhich the post is slidable and which is positioned to engage the lower impact surface of the impact head when no sign is being carried to act as animpact member in removing the post from the, ground.

4. A sign holder for a removable sign comprising, an upright post having a lower end adapted to be driven into the ground and having a sign-holding bracket intermediate its length and spaced above said lower end a sufiicient distance to be exposed when said post is driven into the ground a normal distance, said post having an impact head rigid with its upper end, a sleeve permanently associated with the upper end of said post and slidably engaging over said impact head, said sleeve having an opposed sign-holding bracket and having an impact member ri id with its upper end positioned to engage the impact head on said post when no sign is being held, whereby the post may be driven into the ground by means of a driving force from said impact member to said head, said sleeve being thereafter movable upwardly to a selected position with its impact member spaced above the impact head of the post to accommodate and hold a sign between the bracket on the sleeve and the bracket on the post, the sleeve and its impact member having sufiicient weight so that the sleeve is urged by gravity into sign-retaining position, said brackets each comprising spaced plates having opposed V-shaped sockets to engage the corners of a diamond-shaped sign and said plates being so spaced as to' alternatively coact with opposite edges of a straight edged or curved edge sign.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,359,492 Demuth Nov. 23, 1920 1,569,857 Farb Jan. 19, 1926 2,032,872 Friedricks Mar. 3, 1936 2,282,049 Haggart May 5, 1942 2,466,845 Ghee Apr. 12, 1949 2,497,760 Chambers Feb. 14, 1950 2,552,745 Stanley May 15, 1951 2,572,370 Moeller Oct. 23, 1951 2,903,932 McGonagill Sept. 15, 1959 3,058,246 Schoeflier Oct. 16, 1962 

1. A HOLDER FOR A REMOVABLE SIGN COMPRISING, AN UPRIGHT POST HAVING A LOWER END ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN INTO THE GROUND AND HAVING A SIGN-HOLDING BRACKET INTERMEDIATE ITS LENGTH AND SPACED ABOVE SAID LOWER END A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO BE EXPOSED WHEN SAID POST IS DRIVEN INTO THE GROUND A NORMAL DISTANCE, SAID POST HAVING AN IMPACT HEAD RIGID WITH ITS UPPER END, A SLEEVE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID POST SLIDABLY ENGAGING OVER SAID IMPACT HEAD HAVING AN OPPOSED SIGN-HOLDING BRACKET THEREON AND HAVING A RIGID IMPACT MEMBER POSITIONED TO ENGAGE THE IMPACT HEAD ON SAID POST WHEN NO SIGN IS BEING HELD WHEREBY THE POST MAY BE DRIVEN INTO THE GROUND BY MEANS OF A DRIVING FORCE FROM SAID IMPACT MEMBER TO SAID HEAD, SAID SLEEVE BEING OF SUCH LENGTH THAT IT IS THEREAFTER SLIDABLE UPWARDLY TO A SELECTED POSITION WITH ITS IMPACT MEMBER SPACED ABOVE THE IMPACT HEAD OF THE POST TO ACCOMMODATE AND HOLD A SIGN BETWEEN THE BRACKET ON THE SLEEVE AND THE BRACKET ON THE POST, THE SLEEVE AND ITS IMPACT MEMBER HAVING SUFFICIENT WEIGHT SO THAT THE SLEEVE IS URGED BY GRAVITY INTO SIGN-RETAINING POSITION. 